Gathering 2015

Our second Irish Pubs Global Gathering of Irish hospitality trade from around the world took place in the Convention Centre Dublin, 27th and 28th February, co-located with the Alltech International Craft Brews and Food Fair. The theme of the event was “Working Together” for profitability in the Irish hospitality sector as part of our global community.

The Gathering 2015, our second global gathering, was an even larger community learning and networking experience than the first, with over 600 attendees, 32 speakers and 52 exhibitors.

Speaking at The Gathering, Founder and President of Irish Pubs Global Federation, Enda O’Coineen, said: “The Irish pub has proven incredibly robust in helping Irish communities abroad, whether learning Irish news, listening to Irish music/culture, or looking for employment. While the industry is well organised in Ireland, this is not the case globally and there is a massive void in this aspect of linking-up Irish pubs based outside of Ireland. I believed there was an immediate need for those involved in promoting Ireland abroad and global Irish brand owners to come together, to connect and support Irish hospitality around the world.”

Peter Nash, Tourism Ireland addressed delegates at the Gathering saying: “Icons are a powerful way of attracting visitors to a destination, and most destinations consider themselves lucky to have a few motivating icons. Ireland is very fortunate in having seven thousand powerful icons in the shape of our Irish Pub. Our research still shows that visiting an Irish pub is one of the most appealing experiences for visitors to Ireland. The Irish Global Pub Network gives us a real opportunity to use the 3,000 authentic Irish pubs overseas to showcase our culture, food and drink to attract additional visitors to the island of Ireland”.